Augustin scores 22 as 'Horns nip 'Huskers

AUSTIN - A.J. Abrams spent the last week trying to work out of a shooting slump.

On Tuesday night, it took him 39 minutes and 19 seconds.

Abrams, who was 1-for-5 from the field in the first half, hit a clutch 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to lead No. 9 Texas to a 70-66 victory over Nebraska.

"Yesterday (in practice) he was worrying about shooting it," Texas coach Rick Barnes said of Abrams. "In that possession, we felt like he was due, and they did a really good job on him. That last possession they'll think, We let him go that last second' and that's all it took."

D.J. Augustin scored 22 points for the Longhorns (25-5, 12-3), who moved into a tie for first place in the Big 12 with No. 5 Kansas. Aleks Maric had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (17-11, 6-9).

Abrams' deep 3-pointer broke a 61-61 tie. He was fouled on the inbounds pass and hit two free throws with 23 seconds left. Sek Henry hit a 3 to bring the Cornhuskers within two.

Abrams added his second set of free throws with 17 seconds left to give Texas a 68-64 lead.

Henry's layup with 10 seconds to go had Nebraska within two points again.

On the ensuing inbounds, Connor Atchley's pass was almost intercepted by Maric but it was knocked away by Texas' Justin Mason who was fouled with 6 seconds to go.

"If I picked a player of the game, I'd pick Justin Mason," Barnes said. "The play of the game, it was huge. It was a bad call for Connor to throw it, and Justin made a great save right there."

 Kansas State 78, Colorado 72

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Michael Beasley, with an appreciative crowd hoping it wasn't his final game in Bramlage Coliseum, had 33 points to break Kansas State's season scoring record and lead the Wildcats past Colorado.

The 6-foot-10 Beasley, with one regular-season game left in the finest season any Kansas State player has ever had, seems to be reaching his highest levels as things wind down. It was his fourth straight 30-point game and he grabbed 14 rebounds for his 26th double-double, extending his own NCAA freshman record and setting the Big 12 mark.